1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for acquiring network information related to a wireless network, the apparatus being located in a wireless network coverage area. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for acquiring network information from another terminal located a short distance away before acquiring network information by directly connecting with an access point located a long distance away, thereby reducing a power consumption amount required for acquiring network information.
2. Description of Related Art
Development of wireless networks enables various services such as telephone calls, data communication, image communication, video on demand (VOD), and the like to be used. However, a mobile terminal including a large display, a camera, and the like is required in order to use the service, and a power consumption amount of the terminal becomes an important problem due to the additional power consumption amount of the additional portions.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating network information acquisition apparatuses 120 and 130, which acquire network information according to the conventional method. As illustrated in FIG. 1, when a mobile terminal requires a service list which a wireless network provides, or requires network information such as a common control variable used in a terminal located in a wireless network coverage area, and the like, the mobile terminal should unfailingly receive the service list or the control variable by connecting with a base station of a wireless network, or an access point 110.
However, since an averaged signal is transmitted to a base station of a wireless network or an access point, which is located at about half of a maximal distance at which a terminal may perform communication, unnecessary power is consumed.
Also, a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP), approved as a standard in Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1AB, is a simple protocol that periodically informs, to each device, a case where a device such as a new router, a terminal, and the like, is installed in a wireless network, and where a network type is changed, or a resource is changed.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a network type and a resource change state being exchanged between each element of a network using an LLDP according to the related art.
When each element 210, 220, 230, and 240 configuring a network is connected with the network, network type information such as a port number and the like, which corresponds with a device identifier of each element and the network using the LLDP, is exchanged between adjacent elements. Based on the information, each element may identify which element in another network is connected with each element, and how the information is exchanged with the element. Since the network type information is periodically transmitted to the adjacent element by element, each element may check for a network change by analyzing the type information transmitted from the adjacent element. According to an example in FIG. 2, an IP phone 210 and a switch 230 exchange network type information, e.g. “I'm a switch” and “I'm an IP-Phone”, to each other, and the exchanged information may be stored in a management information storing unit corresponding to a management information base (MIB), and be constantly maintained.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of an LLDP agent 300 for exchanging actual information between adjacent devices in a conventional LLDP according to the related art. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the LLDP agent 300 includes a device information storing unit 310 corresponding to an LLDP local system MIB, a remote device information storing unit 320 corresponding to an LLDP remote systems MIB, an extended device information storing unit 330 corresponding to an organizationally defined local device LLDP MIB extension, and an extended remote device information storing unit 340 corresponding to an organizationally defined remote device LLDP MIB extensions. Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 3, a function for each element is described in detail.
A port number connected with a device identifier of a corresponding network element, a description with respect to each port, management information, and the like, are stored in the device information storing unit 310. Also, a device identifier with respect to another device connected with the network configuration device, a connected port number, a description with respect to each port, management information, and the like, are stored in the remote device information storing unit 320.
The extended device information storing unit 330 stores physical layer connection information of the corresponding network element, and the like, and the extended remote device information storing unit 340 stores physical layer connection information with respect to another device connected with the network configuration device, and the like.
The LLDP agent 300 manages information stored in the storing units being controlled by a service discovery module existing in a upper layer of a protocol stack, and reports the information to the service discovery module transmitting the information to an external apparatus, or updating the information transmitted by the external apparatus.
However, the above-described LLDP agent 300 merely transmits a device identifier of a corresponding device and a resource change state to an adjacent device. The LLDP agent may not transmit information of the corresponding device to a long-distance device via the adjacent device, and may not be used for service list transmission in a mobile communication environment.
Accordingly, there is a need for a network information acquisition apparatus which can extend the functionality of an LLDP for exchanging system information in a link layer of a conventional wireless network apparatus. The network acquisition apparatus receives network information from a terminal, which is located a short distance away from the network information acquisition apparatus and has already received network information, excluding a base station of mobile communication or an access point located a long distance away from the network information acquisition apparatus, thereby minimizing a power consumption amount during the network information acquisition process.